Three-way valve



Oct. 2,' 1951 'l l1. E. DUBE ErAL THREE-WAY VALVE Filed Apri; 21; 1945 /N/e'NToRs: JOHN 0055,

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 THREE-WAY VALVE John E. Dube and Evan Jones, St. Louis County,

Mo., assignors to Alco Valve Company, University City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application April 21, 1945, Serial No. 589,622

7 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a three-way valve, especially one of the magnetic type which connects one outlet alternately to one or the other of two additional outlets.

It is an object of the invention to provide a magnetic valve having a magnetic core movable from a rst position to a second position. with a valve means at each end of the core operated by movement of the core. A further object is to provide a magnetic armature with a valve means at each end thereof with one of the valve means movable relative to the armature.

A further object is to provide a magnetic threeway valve having a valve housing in the form of a tube, with a ported plug at each end thereof, a coil therearound, an armature moved from plug to plug to close one or the other of the ports, and a lateral opening through one wall of the housing.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a magnetic valve of this kind;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of a modification of the upper port construction.

In the drawings, a valve housing I is formed preferably as a tube. An inlet plug II is sealed into the bottom of the tube. It has an upstanding projection I2 thereon with a passage I3 therethrough, terminating in a valve seat I4. The tube also has an outlet plug I5 sealed into an opening in the lower side wall thereof, the plug I5 having an outlet passage I 6 therethrough.

Within the tube there is an armature member I8 of magnetic material, hexagonal in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide space for gas flow therearound. This armature member I8 has a bore I9 therethrough. This bore receives therein a valve plug 20, and is anged over at the top to limit the upward movement of the valve plug 20. A coil spring 2I within the opening' I9 normally urges the valve plug 20 upward. The spring is conined by a threaded screw 22 formed on a head 23, which is thus secured to the armature member I8. The head 23 contains a valve washer element 24 adapted to seat against the valve seat I4 on the inlet plug I l.

The armature I8 is urged downwardly by a coil spring 26 that is confined between a shoulder on the armature member I8 and a shoulder on a top outlet plug 2l. This top plug is sealed into the top of the tube I0. It has a passage 28 therethrough. the lower end of which extends through a valve seat forming projection 29 and the upper end of which passes through a threaded projection 30. The valve seat projection 23 is small enough to pass through the opening of the bore I9 and the armature I8 and to seat against the washer of the valve plug 20. The plug 2l may also have a shading ring 3l to avoid chattering.

The tube is adapted to be inserted upwardly through a magnetic bracket 33 which has a bottom wall 34, a black wall 35, and a top wall 36. The back wall has fastening brackets 3l and 38 thereon.

The lower Wall 34 has an opening of a size to receive a tube I 0. and the upper wall 3B has an opening of a size to receive the threaded projection 30.

Prior to assembly of the tube I0 and associated parts into the bracket, a magnetic coil 40, of

a shape to t within the bracket and to surround the tube I0, has two sleeves 4I and 42 inserted into the bottom and top of the core opening therethrough. With these sleeves in place, the coil 40 is inserted between the-bottom and top walls 34 and 36 of the bracket 33 to dispose the opening of the core in line with the openings in the bracket. Thereupon, the tubular member I8 may be slipped upwardly through the openings of the bracket until the projection 30 extends through the top wall 3B. Then a nut 45 is threaded onto the projection 30. This nut has passages 46 exhausting to atmosphere and disposed in communication with the port 28 through the plug 2l.

In Fig. 3, a modification is shown wherein the top plug 2l is provided with a projecting outlet 50 threaded to be connected to a fluid line. The plug is attached to the tubular member I0 by soldering or the like, and for additional security may nt within a somewhat enlarged cut-out at the top of the tubular member, as shown. A lock nut 5I engages on the plug 21 outside the upper flange 36 to secure the various parts in assembled relation.

Operation When the coil is deenergized, the lower port I6 of the outlet I5 is in communication around the armature member I8 with the exhaust port 28 of the upper plug 2l. The lower port I3 in the plug II is closed by the seating of the valve member 23 on the bottom of the armature member I8, onto the valve seat I4. A

When the coil 40 is energized, it draws the armature i8 upwardly against the spring 28. This action opens the valve member 23 but almost immediately closes the valve plug 20 against the valve seat 28. The upward movement does not stop until the amature I8 strikes the plug 21. The valve plug reaches the valve seat 2l at an earlier point, but the over-travel of the amature is permitted bythe compression or the spring 2|.

With the construction of Fig. 3, the two valves may be used to selectively connect fluid lines from the ports i3 or 28 with the port I8.

What is claimed is:

l. In a valve construction, a valve housing. having a pair of valve seats spaced from each other, a magnetic coil around the housing adjacent the seats, an amature member within the housing, a passage through the armature member, a irst valve slidably engaged within said passage axially of the armature member, spring means contained within the passage urging said valve outwardly of said passage, a removable plug closing the other end of said passage, a second valve on said plug, one valve member being engageable with one valve seat when the coil is deenergized, and the other valve member being engageable with the other valve seat only when the coil is energized.

2. In a valve construction, a tubular member, a first closure closing one end of the tubular member and having a passage therethrough, a second closure closing the other end of the tubular member, projecting beyond the tubular member, having a passagetherethrough, means providing a third passage into the tubular member between the closures, each closure having a valveseat-providing projection Yfacing inwardly, a magnetic armature within the tubular member, having a hole therethrough constricted adjacent one end, a valve plug in the hole, spring means yieldingly urging the valve plug against the constriction, said hole being adapted to receive one valve-seat projection so the same may engage the valve plug when the armature is in one position, a second valve plug having a projection threaded into the armature hole to conne the spring therein, and engageable with the other valve-seat projection when the armature is in a second position, a bracket having a lower ilange and an upper flange, the lower having a hole to receive the upper closure projection, a magnetic coil supported between the iianges, around the tubular member, and holding means engaging the closure projection outside the flange to secure the parts together.

3. In a valve construction, a tubular member; a closure member at one end of the tubular member having a passage therethrough, said closure member containing an inwardly extending projection providing a valve seat at the inner end thereof; an armature within the tubular member containing a longitudinal passage therethrough, said passage being constricted at one end; a valve plug slidably mounted in the passage adjacent the constricted end; and spring means yieldingly urging the valve plug against the constriction; the opening at the constricted end of the passage being of a size to receive the projecting valve seat whereby the latter engages the valve plug so as to seal oiI the passage in the closure member when the armature is in one position.

4. In a valve construction, a tubular member; a closure member at one end of the tubular member having a passage therethrough, said closure member containing a valve seat at the inner end thereof; an armature slidably mounted within the tubular membcr and containing a-longitudinal passage therethrough, said passage being constricted at one end; a valve plug slidably mounted in the passage adjacent the constricted end for engagement with the valve seat: and spring means yieldably urging the valve plug against the constriction, said constriction limiting the movement of the valve plug in one direction.

5. In a valve construction, a tubular member; a first closure member at one end ot the tubular member having a passage therethrough; a second closure member at the other end of the tubular member having a passage therethrough, each closure member containing an inwardly extending projection providing a valve seat at the inner end thereof; an armature within the tubular member containing a longitudinal passage therethrough, said passage being constricted at one end; a tlrst valve plug slidably mounted in the passage adjacent the constricted end; a second valve plug iixedly mounted in the other end of the armature passage; and spring means within the amature passage between the two valve plugs urging the iirst valve plug toward the constriction; the opening at the constricted end of the armature passage being of a size to receive the adjacent projecting valve seat whereby the latter engages the valve plug when the armature is in a first position; the second valve plug being engageable with the other valve seat when the armature is in a second position.

6. In a valve construction, a tubular member: a closure member at one end of the tubular member having a passage therethrough, said closure member containing a valve seat at the inner end thereof which extends beyond the end of the closure member; an armature slidably mounted within the tubular member and containing a longitudinally extending passage way providing an opening in one end thereof adjacent said valve seat; a valve plug slidably and totally contained within the passageway adjacent said one` end for engagement with the valve seat; yieldable means urging the plug outwardly toward said end; and means associated with the armature limiting the outward movement of the plug relative to the armature.

'1. In a valve construction, a tubular member; a closure member adjacent one end of the tubular member having a valve seat and ashoulder adjacent the inner end thereof, the valve seat extending beyond the shoulder; an armature slid-- ably disposed within the tubular member and containing a longitudinally extending cavity in the end adjacent said valve seat, the armature being movable between a position adjacent the closure member and a position away from it; a valve plug slidably and totally contained within the cavity for engagement with the valve seat; yieldable means urging the valve plug toward the valve seat; and means on the armature at the mouth of the cavity for contact with the valve plug to limit its movement relative to the armature; the distance between the end of the armature and the shoulder of the closure member being greater than the distance between the valve seat and the valve plug when the armature is in the position away from the closure member whereby when the armature is moved toward the closure member the valve plug will contact the valve seat before the end of the armature contacts the shoulder of the closure member.

JOHN E. DUBE. EVAN JONES.

(References on following page) 5 REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the 2267'515 me or this patent: gg UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 218111851 Number Name Date 211,044 Penisch Dec. 17, 1878 483,108 Franke sept. 2o, 1892 Number 1,888,432 simon July 5, 1921 660.750 1,573,192 Raymond Feb. 16, 1926 10 688.114 1,622,672 Raymond Mar. 29. 1927 Name Date Wilcox et a1 Dec. 23, 1941 Steel July 7, 1942 Ray Aug. 4, 1942 McClure Feb. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany June 2, 1938 France May 6, 1930 

